Insulated coupling for electric conductors.



PATENTED JULY 7, 1908.

J J. DOSSERT.

INSULATED GOUPLINGYFOR ELECTRIC UONDUCTORS. APPLIGATIQN FILED MAR. a. 1906.

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r z i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. JOR N DOSSERT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO DOSSERT & COMPANY, CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INSULATED COUPLING FOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 7, 19cc.

Application filed march 8, 1906. Serial No. 304,867.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. DOSSERT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, county 'of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Insulated Couplings for Electric Conductors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to couplings for electric conductors, either single or stranded, the object being to provide such couplings in a form convenient for attachment and for handling and also in such form that the completedcoupling presents an insulating surface which removes all danger of accident through contact with the metallic portion of the coupling and at the same time presents an attractive appearance. v

The invention is applicable to the making of joints in cables or conductors under any drdinary conditions; but it offers special advantages for the purpose of connectlng motor leads to the wlring of motor cars. The present method of making these connections is very inconvenient and the act of forming the coupling connection is attended with danger and not infrequently results in accidents more or less serious. Moreover, it

takes a long time to make the present connections and cover them with ta e, while the cost of the tape itself used an lost in the operation is an item of considerable expense, and the completed coupling is not attractive in a pearance. I y

T e invention described herein obviates the difiiculties named, as will be seen, by reference to the accompanying drawings and the resent description thereof.

The drawings represent, in Figure 1, a side view of a metallic coupling together with a longitudinal section of the surrounding insulation; in Fig. 2 a vertical section along the line a:w in Fig. 1 and in Fig. '3 an elevation showing the portions of the insulating covering at one end, together with a modification in a detailed cross-section at the other end. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line y-y Fig. 1. Fi s. 5 and 6 are broken lon tudinal sectiona views of one end of t e coupling showing different forms of packings to makewater tight joints.

In the drawin s, 1 represents a stranded conductor or cab e inclosed in an. insulating covering 2. The adjacent ends (not shown) of this cable are connected by a coupler, the

presently be explained.

two end pieces of which are shown at 3, 3, and the intermediate connecting member is shown at 4. These couplers are now wellknown as to their general character, since the issuance of certain Letters Patent of the United States to me, but the details are generally immaterial, it being only understood that the adjacent ends of the cable enter the end pieces of the coupling, while the metal piece constitutes a connecting element for the said coupling ends whereby electrical continuity is preserved throughout the cou ling.

It wi be observed that the central portion of the connecting member or element 4 a pears in the form of a nut, which may e hexagonal, octagonal, or any other suitable shape, for the application of a tool whereby the same can be turned so as to cause the end pieces and the arts of the coupling to which they are attac ed to approach each other and make a good electrical and mechanical joint. For this purpose, op ositelythreaded screws, 5 and 6, are formed on the hubs or ends of the said central portion, the same cooperating with corresponding screw threads inside' the end pieces 3, 3. It is to be noted that the outside surfaces of the said central ortion of the member 4-are more remote fi om the axis than arethe surfaces of the end pieces3, 3. The urposev of this will' tis to be further noted that the end pieces 3, ,3, themselves are provided with angular surfaces and it is to be remembered that these end pieces may have tools a plied to them for forming the connection a ove described, it being sometimes preferable to apply a steadyin tool to the member 4 and an operating too to the end pieces 3, 3, oneafter the other.

To receive the end pieces 3, 3, the cable or conductor ends are bared, as readily understood, and the said end pieces are slipped over the bared ends of the conductors or cables.

Outside the metallic coupler hereinbefore described, I arrange the sheathing of insulating material consistin of the parts 7 and 8, as shown. In adjusting theentire coupling device, these parts 7 and 8 are first slipped over theinsulation 2, 2, on the conductor or cable, and are carried back far enough to allow the arts 3, 3 to' be then passed over the ends of the said conductor or cable and the element 4 to be introduced between the said arts 3, 3. tallic portion of tie coupler has been suitably adjusted as already described, the parts 7 and 8 of the insulating sheathing are screwed .together, one of these parts, as 8, being provided with a male screw, and the otherwith a female screw, for this purpose. In the form illustrated in Fig. 1, the 7 is provided with ashoulder, 9, whici is adapted to standon one side of the enlarged portion of the element 4, while the end, 10,

of the-male screw u on the part 8 stands on the other side of tiie said element so that when the parts are firmly screwed together the said element is held from excessive longitudinal movement, although it is free to move in a circumferential direction so that there is no danger of a breaking down of the device due to the natural tendency thereof to shift more or less in a radial direction. At the same time, all tendency to separate the parts by longitudinal strain is resisted by the construction shown.

The material selected for theinsulating sheathing made up of the parts 7 and 8 may be vulcanite or any other suitable insulating material having sufficient rigidity and the capacity for receiving screw threads, retaminserted in place in such manner that the screwing together of the parts 7 and 8 will compress the inner end of the rubber between the outer end of-the part 3 and the inner shoulder 12 on the part 8 or the art 7 as the case may be, it being assumed t at both the part 8 and the part 7 are similarly provided with shoulders 12, 12, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Thus, the insulating sheathing composed of the parts7 and 8 may be made either sufliciently tight for ordinary purposes as shown in Fig. 1, or may be made absolutely moisture proof according to the conditions which it is desired to maintain at the oint. I

The band 11, instead of extending only longitudinally along the surface of the part '8 may be simply an ordinary rubber band 13 fitting between the shoulder 12 and the outer end of the art 3 as shown in Fig. 5. In other words, t e structure illustrated in Fig. 3 may be modified to the extent of usmg a band which should be ractically cut off at the shoulder 12 and shou ld provide a water-tight joint by means of a fiat rubber .band between the shoulder 12 and the end of the part 3,

After the meber band being inserted between the shoulartv By the use of the soft rubber band, 11, it is possible to secure the advantages of a wa ter tight coupling with different sizes of ca bles or conductors. For example, the rubder 12 and the end of the coupling portion 3 will serve as a water-tight joint'even though the outside diameter of r the insulation be much smaller'than the opening in the ends of the parts 7 and 8.. -Moreover, assuming that the conductor at one end of the coupling is smaller than the conductor at the opposite end, this would not prevent the use of a standard coupler, inasmuch as the whole structure could be made moisture and watertight by the insertion of the rubber bushing, as described above.

The rubber band. 11 shown in Fig. 3 may be regarded as a washer, although in some instances I prefer to call it a reducer, the shape being similar to that shown in the figure; that is tosay, the cylindrical piece of soft rubber with a flange at the end, the cylindrical portion being adapted to lie between the outer. circumference, of the conductor with its insulated covering and the inner circumference of the art 8 or 7, as the case may be, while the iianged portion rests between the shoulder 12 and the outer end of one of the parts 8. Assuming a sufliciently flexible piece of rubber, this elasticinsulating element may be regarded as a reducer, inasmuch as it will fit between the inner portions of the parts 8 or 7, as the case may be, and the outer circumference of conductors oo of different sizes. Thus, as stated above, the parts 7 and 8 may be made of a standard size while the elastic insulator 11 may be utilized for adapting the said standard parts to internal elements of different sizes. This 1 5 construction renders the apparatus more easily applicable to diiferent conditions of work and may be used where one size of internal conductor is used at one end of the coupler and another either smaller or greater 110 size is used at the other end.

The rubber band, washer, or reducer 11 may be made of varying thicknesses along the longitudinal portion thereof to still fur ther adapt it to varying sizes of cables or con- 5 ductors.

I claim as my invention 1. An insulated coupling for eflectrical cables or conductors consisting o a metallic 'coupler comprising two end pieces andan intermediate connecting member. having a central portion of larger diameter than the end pieces, in combination with a two-part insulating coupler outside the metallic couplers, the said insulatin coupler sections being directly connectei l one with the other and held from excessive longitudinal movement by the said connecting member.

2. An insulated coupling for cables or conductors having their own external insulation, consisting of a metallic coupler com prisin two end pieces and an intermediate centra portion of larger diameter than the end ortions, in combination with a twopart insulating coupler outside the metallic couplers, the said insulatin coupler sections being directly connected onewith the other and held from excessive longitudinal movement by the said connecting member, and also fitting at their outer ends around the normal insulation of the cables or conductors.

3. An insulated coupling for cables or conductors having their own external insulation, consisting of a metallic coupler comprising two end pieces and an intermediate connecting member having a polygonal central portion of larger diameter than the end portions, in combination with a two-part insulating coupler outside the metallic'couplers, the said lnsulating coupler sections being directly connected one with the other and held from excessive longitudinal movement by the said connecting member and also fitting at their outer ends around the normal insulation of the cables or conductors, and an intervening water-ti ht packing between the endieces and coupler sections.

4. Aninsulate coupling for cables or conductors having their own external insulation, consisting of a metallic coupler comprising two end pieces and an intermediate connecting member having a central por-, tion of larger diameter than the end pieces, in combination with a two-part insulating coupler being directly connected one with the other and held from excessive longitudinal movement by the said connecting member, and also provided with shoulders adapted to fit a ainst the ends of the metallic couplers wit 1 intervening water-tight joints.

5. An insulated coupling for cables or conductors having their own external insulation, consisting of a metallic coupler comprising two end pieces and an intermediate connecting member having a polysided central portion of larger diameter than that of the end ieces, in combination with a twopart insu ating coupler outside the metallic couplers, the two parts of said insulatin coupler being directly connected and held from excessive longitudinal movement by the said connecting member, and a cylindrical elastic bushing of insulatin material provided With a flange, the cylindrical portion of the bushing being located between the outer circumference of the insulated conductor and the inner circumference of the insulating sheathing, and the flanged portion bein located between a shoulder on the said insulating sheathing and the metallic end cou ling at each end of the device.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 24th day of February, A. D. 1906.

JOHN J. DOSSERT.

Witnesses:

GEORGE H. STOGKBRIDGE, Tnos. H. BROWN. 

